Coega is a Pillar of Hope for Young Girls in the Eastern Cape - published 29 Aug 2019

Empowering Young Girls to Stay At School: Coega Development Corporation, District Department of Education, Girls from Hillside Technical School and Booysens Park High.

Coega is a Pillar of Hope for Young Girls in the Eastern Cape

Port Elizabeth, 29 August 2019: The Coega Development Corporation (CDC) announced today it donated more than 1000 packs of sanitary wear to Hillside Technical School and Booysens Park High school in the Northern Areas of Port Elizabeth (PE).

These efforts form part of women’s month celebrations, the Coega Development Foundation (CDF), an NPO established by the Coega Development Corporation (CDC), reached out to young girls’ in PE - Northern Areas - schools by donating sanitary wear, as an initiative to restores their dignity, boost their confidence, and ensure their school attendance is not disrupted by donating more than 1000 packs of sanitary wear.

“The purpose of this initiative is to ensure that young girls are supported and given an opportunity to grow and develop into matured confident young women in order to reach their maximum potential,” said Head of Coega Development Foundation, Mr. Mzoxolo Dube. “CDF was established based on the CDC’s two decades of experience in the provision of unique and tailor-made socio-economic development solutions. Coega prides itself in helping communities and to reach out to those who need our assistance,” elaborated Dube.

Therefore, this month the CDC donated more than 1000 packs of sanitary wear to Hillside Technical School and Booysens Park High in the Northern Areas of PE. “If you educate a girl you educate a nation,” commented the CDC’s Nadia Kassim as she was handing out sanitary wear to young girls. “To deny a child access to education is a Human Rights violation, yet many girls are more likely to not attend school during their menstrual cycle mainly due to lack of sanitary wear; however the CDF is making a difference today to these girls that are benefitting this month from this initiative.”

The District Department of Education (DOE) applauded the CDF for giving back to communities and for leading the pack in prioritizing local schools in its corporate social responsibility programmes. “The donation will go a long way in addressing challenges faced by girls in school; it will assist learners to channel their energies in schoolwork,” said Ms. Ntombenani Nqana, SPU Coordinator. “We thank Coega for choosing our schools and for the opportunity granted to our girls.” In addition, I would like to extend our heartfelt gratitude to Coega’s management for this initiative, which is one of the greatest challenges facing our girls,” said Mr. Nythil Paulsen, the Principal of Hillside Technical School.

CDC’s Marketing, Brand and Communications Head, Dr. Ayanda Vilakazi instilled hope to the learners by motivating them to stay in school so that they can be productive members of society. “Your background must never limit how far your dreams could go. Aim beyond the stars and work towards achieving your goals because you are all capable, concluded Dr. Vilakazi.”